Hello all. No I'm not dead. Sorry for the long wait but I have a really good excuse, even a note from the doctor… sorta. I found out I'm pregnant (it's a good thing). So I've been thoroughly distracted. So much so that I've only just been able to sit down and work on anything resembling writing a few days ago. That said I'll do my best to keep posting in something more than once a month but I make no promises. (Stupid hormones.)
Not that that's stop the plot-bunnies, the pesky brats. Can someone lend me a shotgun? I really need to shoot some of these things; they're just multiplying too fast and taking up my already limited head space. And most of them are running around with a scar between their eyes just like a certain gunblade wielding hero from another little RPG. He keeps trying to kidnap the blond spiky haired bunny and sneak off to some private island. Or something. Zack-bunny is feeling rather left out. He's trying to figure out how to join in with the brunet and blond bunny and I think he's finally come up with something that works. Bloody thing is really complicated/long though. Damn plot-bunnies. Does Raid work on them?
Okay, enough of that. Thanks for listening (reading) to my rant. Or not. For those that just skipped down to get the meat I send you a big raspberry. :p Am I joking? Maybe, maybe not. Hmm, you decide.
On with the show!
The constant tapping of keys quickly melded into the background noise of buzzing electronics and hidden, humming machinery. Most people ignored it a few probably found it annoying but Rude thought it was relaxing.
Reno and he had been watching the surveillance screens since Tseng and Elena had left a half-hour ago; he watching the invading former-General while Reno kept an eye out for any other disruptions.
Reno's computer beeped.
A few more hurried key tapping and then, "Yo, partner, flip to screen seventy-four."
Rude did as he was told with a few key strokes. The monitor on his right flickered from an empty hallway to black, a green waving line pulsing across. Rude frowned as he watched the flickering line. All channels above seventy were tuned to radio and high-frequency waves that usually meant some form of wireless communication. The company had certain channels reserved for its various actives: office, army, private, transmitting, ect. Channel seventy-four was for anomalies.
The green line spiked several times in a row, fell silent, then spiked again.
"Did ya catch that, yo?"
"Yes."
"What's the General up to?"
"He is still in the lab." Hojo's lab was the only thing they didn't have surveillance on. The professor claimed it interfered with some of his more sensitive experiments.
"Bummer, yo. Well, wanna help me trace this line?"
Rude shrugged.
Ten minutes later, the door swooshed opened and three people walked in. Rude instantly stood in salute, Reno only a second behind him. The Vice President smirked.
"At ease." The white suited young man said as he took a position near the door, arms folded. Rude sat back down, heard Reno do the same behind him.
"Report." Tseng commanded.
"Well, our happy sword wielding guest is hiding in Hojo's lab. Desperate move if I say so. Fair popped out in the middle of level sixty about fifteen minutes ago, making pretty good time up the stairs. And we're tracing a possible radio communication back to it's nest. Questions, yo?"
Even though he was focused at the task on hand, Rude felt Tseng frown. "Where is security?"
"Ah, I'll answer that." Rufus said. "My father has pulled back most of the troops for the withdrawal, including security. Where is Fair headed?"
"Seems to be the top."
"Hmm." Minutes passed in silence. Rude's computer beeped. Tseng moved to look over his shoulder. "Do you have something?" Rufus asked without moving.
"Yes, sir." Tseng answered, straightening once he was finished reading the new information. "It seems we have a mole."
--- -- ---
The computer beeped a negative again and Sephiroth resisted the urge to destroy the console. Despite how much it would help relieve his stress, in the long run it would do more harm than good.
"'Ere, let me, laddie." Cait Sith said as he shoved Sephiroth to the side. Sephiroth arched an eyebrow and briefly wondered how long it would take Reeve to realize one of his toys was missing. It shouldn't be bemoaned too badly, the man had more than enough already.
Prying a side panel off, Cait Sith stuck its whole face and both hands into the mess of colored bundled wires. Moving some of the tied wires aside for a few moments, the short robot finally gave a muffled cry in triumph. He pulled back out, a thick group of yellow and green wires held in both it's furry paws.
"This should do the trick." He said before making a small slice into the insulating plastic. Wrapping a paw around the cut he went still, his yellow eyes dimming. The screen in front of Sephiroth flickered to life, security windows appeared in rapid succession only to disappear and replaced by another. Asterisked hidden passwords streamed across the security blocks, firewalls and whatever else Hojo had put in place to keep his files secure. Finally the last window flickered by, and with a soft beep, the screen was full of itemized files, a curser patiently blinking in the upper left hand corner.
"Tha' good enough for ya, laddie?"
Sephiroth glanced at the robot before again leaning over the console, studying it for a long moment. Having been under the professor's 'care' since nearly the beginning of his enrollment, he had some understanding of how the man categorized his reports. But, looking over the current files that consisted more of serial numbers than names or titles, he found he had not learned enough. Frowning, he straightened.
"We don't have the time to search all of these files." He looked around for some means of copying them but saw no disks or cd's.
"Aye, ya lot can't do anything on ya're own, can ya?"
Once again Cait Sith shoved his way in front of Sephiroth. Grinning cheekily up at the former General, the creature showed off one paw. With a flick of one black, furry finger a computer port jack popped out from under the nail. Sephiroth gave a small sigh.
"Are you finished showing off?"
"Ah gotta get me kicks in somehow, don't Ah?"
"You're acting like Zack."
"Hey! Tha's uncalled for, laddie."
Sephiroth threw a look at the silent Aeris who looked mildly amused despite her paleness. Sephiroth frowned as he turned back to the robot; they had stayed here long enough.
"Download those files quickly. With Cloud not here, we'll need to rendezvous with Zack."
Cait Sith searched for a few second for the proper port before plugging in. "Hold ya chocobo's, Ah'm gonna need a few shakes of a feather duster ta shift through all the crap tha's been stored on here and get what ya're–" Cait Sith stopped, jerked once than froze completely. Even his tail was rigid in it's lazy curve.
"Cait Sith?" Aeris called taking a small step forward. The computer screen suddenly went blank. A second after that all the lights in the lab shut off, casting them in pitch black. In the distance Sephiroth heard the tall-tale clang of security doors locking. Aeris squeaked in surprise but otherwise remained calm.
"The alarms have been tripped. We need to leave."
"But what about Cait Sith?"
Looking down, Sephiroth was displeased to see that the furry creature was still frozen. "It seems he has crashed."
"How can you see him? It's so dark in here."
"Mako." Sephiroth replayed evenly, gazing at the washed out grey form that was Aeris. The woman slowly turned her head upwards until she stopped and blinked at him.
"Oh."
"Stay there." He ordered. Pulling the still plugged in Cait Sith out of the jack, he paused long enough to listen for any still working inner mechanics. He heard nothing.
Stashing the newly made statue in a covered corner in hopes of hiding their position and intent, Sephiroth quickly made his way back to the waiting Aeris. The snap-hiss of several releasing locks echoing in the background caused him to pause.
"Sephiroth?" Aeris called uncertainly, hands tight around her staff. "What was that?"
Sephiroth did not answer immediately. Instead he concentrated on listening, deciphering this new addition. He stood still for several moments before further sound, and smell, came back to him. Low sniffs and warning growls were all he needed to know that Hojo had added his own security protocols to Shinra's. Damn.
Focusing back on the small woman, he was pleasantly surprised to note that though she was fearful and blinded by the lack of light, she still held her staff in a ready position and was even turned toward the approaching monsters.
"The cages are open." Sephiroth finally answered, quietly pulling out Masamune. There were plenty of predators that even Mako enhanced hearing couldn't pick up and Sephiroth was certain Hojo would have at least a few in his possession. "We will have to fight our way out. Stay near me."
Aeris made no reply as Sephiroth sensed her ready a spell. This would be interesting.
Just to tell you how much detail planning I do on these things, all I wanted was for Cait Sith to leave the party. The whole him getting Seph and Aeris locked inside and surrounded was competely spontanous. Really, hadn't planned on that at all. Works out pretty good though, or at least for me. Just thought I'd share that little bit. :)
You should all know the drill now involving the button below. That's all I'm saying on that.